The town of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, southern Spain, has lent its name to the wine style the English call ‘Sherry’ and the French ‘Xeres’. Only wines made from this tiny region – the so-called ‘Sherry triangle’ between the towns of Jerez, Sanlucar de Barrameda and Puerto de Santa Maria – can be called Sherry. Sherry is not a single wine style, but a wide range of exciting, lightly fortified, Spanish wines based on grapes unique to the region, primarily Palomino Fino. Often misunderstood or overlooked by modern wine consumers, Sherries are some of the world’s finest wines, offering delicious drinking and impressive value. Tangy Fino and Manzanilla Sherries make an appetising aperitif, when chilled like dry white wine. Amontillado, Palo Cortado and Oloroso styles are typically richer, nutty and complex, while sweet Sherries, often based on the Pedro Ximenez grape, are sheer decadence.
